Device for inserting drains into the ground

ABSTRACT

Drain strips for draining ground are inserted into the ground by means of a sticking tube surrounding the drain and being slidably journalled in a mast. Hydraulic motor means for operating the sticking tube are arranged on the mast at its lower end. The unity sticking tube-mast-motor means is arranged for detachable mounting on a suitable mobile carrier.

United States Patent Thorsell June 24, 1975 [54] DEVICE FOR INSERTING DRAINS INTO 3,807,695 4/1974 Gremillion et a]. 254/29 R THE GROUND [75] Inventor: Sven Torgny Thorsell, Skelleftea, Primary, Examiner A| Lawrence Smith Sweden Assistant E.\'aminerRObert C. Watson 73 Assignee: Linden-Alimak AB, Skelleftea. y. g n or Firm-Fred Philpitt Sweden [22] Filed: Nov. 26, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 419,005 ABSTRACT Drain strips for draining ground are inserted into the [30] Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnonty Data ground by means of a sticking tube surrounding the NOV. 27, 1972 SWEdCIl 15426/72 drain and being journalled in a mast Hydraulic motor means for operating the sticking tube are ar [52] US. Cl. 254/29 R; 61/1 1 ranged on h t at its lower end. The unity sticking Int. ..l' [ube mast motor means is arranged for deta h bl [58] Field of Search 254/29 R, 30; 61/1 1 mounting on a i b mobile Garden [56] References cued 1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1951 Kjellman 61/11 PATENTEDJUN 24 I975 SHEET m: 11H ILE r ll HH S W. -L x t -I 8E g f I. N 2 H q N m RTE l" m1 8 w m oE 1 DEVICE FOR INSERTING DRAINS INTO THE GROUND This invention relates to a device with a mast and a sticking tube for sticking drains into the ground. Drains are usually used for carrying out vertical draining in the ground in order to improve the stability of ground and generally consist of paper material in the form of strips.

A device of this kind is known, at which the mast is provided with a mobile frame ofa special construction. The device requires on the whole much space, which is at least a disadvantage, when the device is to be moved'over a great distance, for instance by rail.

These disadvantages are substantially eliminated by the device of the invention having the characteristic features defined in the claims. The means carrying the device need not be enclosed at long transports, but it is sufficient to send the unity mast-driving motor to the new place of work, where a new means for carrying the device can be borrowed.- Moreover, a very light and simple device has been obtained by means of the invention relative to the known art. As the mast can be turned in a vertical plane, drains can also be stuck down at other angles than perpendicularly to the ground, which increases the usefulness of the device considerably One illustrative example of the invention will=now be described with reference to the enclosed drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a mast with a sticking tube arranged on a commonly used type of machine for handling material,

FIG. 2 shows the upper and lower portion of the mast in FIG. 1 taken along the line llII of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a sticking tube according to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the sticking tube according to FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line VV of FIG. 3

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line VIVI of FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 8 is a section taken along the line VIIIVIII of Fl" 2,

In FIGS. 1 2 a mast is designated by l, which has a length of about 10.5 m and in which a sticking tube 2 displace-ably arranged to stick a drain 3 in the form of a strip into the ground, which drain for instance can consist of such a profiled, plastic strip enclosed in a paper casing, as is described in the Swedish lay-open print 343,902. The mast 1 is arranged on a material handling machine 4 of a type that is commonly used. This machine has an arm 6 which can be turned around a shaft 5 and is provided with a means 8 being rotatable around a horizontal shaft 7 for connection of different types of tools to the material handling machine 4, such as a bucket, and in this case the mast l. The mast 1 can be lifted by means of a hydraulic cylinder 9, be turned around the shaft 7 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 10 and be lowered backwardly over the machine 4 to a substantially horizontal transport position.

The drain is supplied from a roller 11 arranged at the rear part of the machine and runs over a roller 12 adapted at the top of the mast 1, from which it passes down through the sticking tube 2 to the lower end 13 of same. The drain is stuck into the ground by means of the sticking tube 2, which for this purpose is driven by ,roller chains 14 and 15 on eachside of the sticking tube. Each of the roller chains 14and l 5 is attached to the upperend of the sticking tube 2 injears l6 and 17 respectively. The mast 1 consists of two square pipes 18 and 19, which are combined by means of. suitably spaced L-rods 20, which surround the sticking tube 2 on two sides. Each of the roller chains isbrought from the upper end of the sticking tube 2 over chain wheels 21 and runs from there downwardly along the outside of the square pipes 18 and 19, respectively, to chain drives arranged at the lower end of the mast,-which chain drives (not shown) are each driven by a hydraulic motor 22, preferably activated by the hydraulic system of the machine 4. Then the roller chains run from these chain drives up to the cars 16 and, l7,-wh e re they are attached. i

The sticking tube 2, see FIGS. 3-7, having substan tially a long and narrow and rectangular cross section with a thickness of about 16 mm, includes a pair of rods 23, which are connected to each other by means of rods 24 in the form of strips. The strips 24, which are preferably welded to the rods 23, form together with the rods 23 a channel 25 for the drains. The channel 25 extends from the upper end of the sticking tube with the cars 16 and 17 to a little above the lowerend 13, where the channel ZSdebouches in an aperture 26.:The cross section of the channel is 12 X 1 12 mm.

At the lower end 13 the rods 23 are brought to the lower edge of the sticking tube 2, where they are shaped to a point 46, and are joined by means of a flat element 27, preferably by welding. The flat element 27 is arranged with its flat surfaces 28 on the same level inside the sides 29 of the rods 23 so that both sides of the lower end 13 will each have a chute 30 and 31 respectively. The channel 25 runs via the aperture 26 into the chute 30 via an inclined part 32 of the flat element 27, which inclined portion 32 at one side at the aperture 26 evenly runs into the side 33 of the strip 24 facing the channel 25. The side 34 of the aperture 26 facing the side 33 is somewhat brought down towards the side 33. The side 34 is preferably arranged as a concave surface.

When the drain 3 is to be brought into the ground, it is first introduced through the upper end of the sticking tube at the ears l6 and 17 and pushed through the sticking tube until it issues through the aperture 26, after which it is drawn out a little more is folded over the point 46 between the rods 23 and is allowed to protrude somewhat beyond the point 46. The sticking tube is then stuck into the ground together with the drain strip from the roller 11 in FIG. 1, the folding of the drain over the point 46 being sufficient to keep the drain to the sticking tube when being stuck down. After the sticking tube with the drain has reached the desired depth, the sticking tube is pulled up again, the pressure from the ground holding the drain at its end projecting from the sticking tube and the drain will remain in the ground while the sticking tube is pulled up. After the sticking tube has again come out of the ground completely the drain is cut and the new drain end projecting from the sticking tube is folded over the point 46 and a new drain length is ready for being stuck into the ground. As to the aperture 26 it should be mentioned that the surface 34 pulled towards the side 33 is pulled down so far that a narrow passage is formed here for the drain, which has a relatively great play in the channel 25 above the aperture 26. It is the object of this narrow passage to prevent penetration of material into the sticking tube when this is stuck into the ground.

In FIG. 8 the mounting of the sticking tube in the mast is shown. As mentioned above, the square pipes 18 and 19 of the mast are connected to each other by means of rods 20 with L-profile. Two vertical square pipes 36 are fastened to the insides of the L-bars 20 by means of screw joints 35 on each side. These square pipes are at their opposing sides provided with strips 37 of a material suitable for guiding the sticking tube on its broadsides under low friction and wear. The roller chains Hand 15 bear along the short sides of the sticking tube, which chains in their turn are guided by strips 38.0f low friction, which are adapted on the opposing sides of the square pipes 18 and 19. The parts of the roller chains running along the sides of the square pipes 18 and 19 turned from each other are not shown in FIG. 8. The mast is preferably divided into several sections and therefore has means 39 for the connection of the different sections to each other.

I claim:

1. In the known type of device for inserting flexible drain members downwardly into the earth and which includes a. an earth penetrating tube that is adapted to annularly surround and protect a flexible drain member as the tube penetrates downwardly into the earth,

b. mast means which is designed to initially position said earth penetrating tube vertically above the earth,

c. means to move said earth penetrating tube from its initial vertical position downwardly with respect to said mast so that said tube and the drain member it protects will penetrate into the earth,

the improvement which comprises said mast means comprising two rectangular tubes that are rigidly spaced apart from each other by rigid interconnecting means which thereby form an interior rectangular channel for the downward passage of said earth penetrating tube,

2. said means for moving said penetrating tube downwardly comprises two spaced apart roller chains each of which loops around one of said two rectangular tubes forming the mast means,

3. spaced apart ears adjacent the upper portion of said earth penetrating tube engaged by said spaced apart roller chains,

4. said spaced apart roller chains each being operatively connected to a motor means which is located adjacent the lower end of said mast means and 5. attachment means on said mast means for readily attaching and detaching said mast means to a suitable carrier vehicle. 

1. In the known type of device for inserting flexible drain members downwardly into the earth and which includes a. an earth penetrating tube that is adapted to annularly surround and protect a flexible drain member as the tube penetrates downwardly into the earth, b. mast means which is designed to initially position said earth penetrating tube vertically above the earth, c. means to move said earth penetrating tube from its initial vertical position downwardly with respect to said mast so that said tube and the drain member it protects will penetrate into the earth, the improvement which comprises
 1. said mast means comprising two rectangular tubes that are rigidly spaced apart from each other by rigid interconnecting means which thereby form an interior rectangular channel for the downward passage of said earth penetrating tube,
 2. said means for moving said penetrating tube downwardly comprises two spaced apart roller chains each of which loops around one of said two rectangular tubes forming the mast means,
 3. spaced apart ears adjacent the upper portion of said earth penetrating tube engaged by said spaced apart roller chains,
 4. said spaced apart roller chains each being operatively connected to a motor means which is located adjacent the lower end of said mast means and
 5. attachment means on said mast means for readily attaching and detaching said mast means to a suitable carrier vehicle.
 2. said means for moving said penetrating tube downwardly comprises two spaced apart roller chains each of which loops around one of said two rectangular tubes forming the mast means,
 3. spaced apart ears adjacent the upper portion of said earth penetrating tube engaged by said spaced apart roller chains,
 4. said spaced apart roller chains each being operatively connected to a motor means which is located adjacent the lower end of said mast means and
 5. attachment means on said mast means for readily attaching and detaching said mast means to a suitable carrier vehicle. 